Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 837 The Battle Situation is Initially Settled
One month later, Reef No. 137 was sunken.

Zhila~!

Thick black blood flowed down from the enormous crack, while pitch-black ghost flames and scarlet blood flames spread from the sky.

On the lifeless land, mountains of corpses formed from the remains of abyssal creatures stood tall, and the deep, dark blood seeped into the frozen earth, where no light shone, forming winding, writhing rivers of blood.

Time ticked by, the sounds of burning in the sky gradually subsided into silence, and as this silent stillness and desolation threatened to spread further into the distance—

Boom—!

"Phew... Damn it, we finally crawled out of that hellhole. The abyssal creatures on this shitty planet are fucking amazing at digging holes!!"

A hand emerged from the ground amidst the scattered, exploding corpses, followed by a disheveled gray-haired ranger and a cacophony of 'friendly' greetings.

"Be content. At least this time we were just treated like gophers. If we had to set up a base in a place like Reef 96, that would have been the real death of us."

"Stop, stop talking. If you keep going, I'll get traumatized. I never want to go back to that awful place again..."

Yamu, who had also crawled out of the mountain of corpses, complained. Randy's expression twitched slightly upon hearing this, and he interrupted Yamu without hesitation. He looked like he was recalling some extremely unpleasant memory.

Reef No. 96.

If the difficulty of exploring the No. 137 Reef beneath their feet was a form of mental torture that could make one feel nauseous at the mere mention of the word "tunnel," then the planet whose entire ecosystem had been transformed into one that circulated based on the excrement of some large abyssal creature was a nightmare that could make one gag even in their dreams.

"Tsk, once I reach Tier 5, I must prioritize unlocking Abyss Stealth so I'll never have to suffer from these awful environments again."

Randy gritted his teeth and complained, clearly having suffered a great deal of trauma during the expedition.

Or rather, before this, the gray-haired ranger never dreamed that one day he would have the idea that even spending his entire life in a subspace filled with abyssal energy would be better than staying in the material plane.

"Instead of thinking about these things, it's better to think about what we'll encounter at our next destination. After all, the deeper we go, the more extreme the environments of these planets and worlds become."

A calm and dignified voice came, and Xin Lailai's figure emerged from the cave. Behind her were the White Demon and the Death Keeper, whose bodies were so dense with blood and death energy that they completely engulfed their figures.

[Announcement! Attention all members in Area 137 of the Reef: The elemental rift bridge in this world is about to...]

The next second, a cold announcement came from the Legion's communication channel. A large number of pure white beams of light, like a forest of spears, erupted from the ground, turning the world in front of them into a white expanse. The dark rivers of blood on the ground began to evaporate rapidly along with the corpses of the abyssal creatures.

"Let's go, get some rest and recover quickly. Besides, the nun urgently needs to deal with the auras of the White Demon and the Deathbringer."

After the light from the elemental barrier broke through the abyssal energy layer in the sky, Xin Lailai took out a disposable teleportation device and spoke. Randy and the others nodded in agreement and stepped forward.

[Location confirmed. Current teleportation coordinates: Blackthorn Third Legion warship. Space tunnel generating...]

[Generation complete, teleportation initiating!]

……

Reef No. 137, outer ring track.

[Teleportation complete. You have arrived at the designated coordinates.]

[Identity verification complete. Pioneer Black Sword, ID 83112. Welcome!]

Om-! !

A mechanical electronic voice rang out from the broadcast. In the teleportation reception area illuminated by elemental light, Xin Lailai and Bai Mo and the others stepped out of the slowly opening hatch. While letting the elemental light evaporate the remaining abyssal energy on their bodies, they looked at the blindfolded nun who had been waiting there.

"Welcome back, sirs."

"Yes, they've troubled you again this time, Sister."

"No problem. Please relax for now, Lord White Demon and Lord Deathbearer. I will help you calm down."

As the gentle, reassuring voice faded, the White Demon and the Death Keeper nodded slightly, skillfully lowering their guard and allowing the blindfolded nun's spiritual power to permeate their bodies. With her guidance, they quickly calmed the boiling blood and death energy on their skin.

"Alright, gentlemen, that's all. If you feel any discomfort, please let me know."

A few minutes later, the blindfolded nun spoke softly, and the White Demon and the Death Keeper slowly opened their eyes. After sensing the completely calmed aura within their bodies, they nodded one after another.

Xin Lailai and the others, who had also undergone examinations and treatments, slowly opened their eyes, moved their limbs a couple of times, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your help, Sister."

"Lord Black Sword, you flatter me. This is my duty. Compared to you all, this is all I can do."

The blindfolded nun gently shook her head and spoke, while Randy, standing beside her, glanced out the window at Reef 137, completely covered by the elemental barrier, gently rubbed his temples, and said weakly:

"Well, more than anything, I'm curious to know where we're headed next. This planet has really given us a hard time. I hope that commander will go easy on us and not pick another place where no one can stand on the surface."

"Um, Lord Randy, about..." Before the blindfolded nun could finish speaking, a somewhat light voice suddenly came from the loudspeaker:
"Regarding this, I think Lord Randy no longer needs to worry!"

[Note: Guardian No. 03187, Armor 3756, has enabled remote communication.]

As soon as the major finished speaking, a three-dimensional image projected from the brand appeared in front of them. The content of the image was none other than the command room of the Blackthorn flagship, which they were extremely familiar with.

"Wow, buddy, how did you get in touch with me so quickly? And what did you mean by 'don't worry anymore'? You don't mean...?"

"Ah, yes, Lord Randy, and all of you, congratulations! Thanks to your tireless efforts, the second phase of the operation... has come to an end in the most successful way possible!"

In the scene, the major sits in the main seat, his fingers interlaced, smiling as he speaks to the people before him. Upon hearing this, Randy's eyes light up, a look of wild joy appearing in them, and he excitedly confirms:
"Wow, Commander, are you serious? Or are you just trying to put us at ease so you can pull out some worse news to keep messing with us?"

"Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person who likes to deliver the worst news first."

In response to Randy's question, the major in the video simply smiled with narrowed eyes, then glanced at the group before looking at the ship's window beside them, and said:

"Therefore, please enjoy these 'flowers' that you have all watered with your own efforts. After all, even for you, it's probably not something you'll see many times!"

Flowers?

Inside the ship, upon hearing this, Randy subconsciously followed the major's gaze to the window to the side that faced the exact opposite direction from the Reef 137, and then his gaze froze for a moment.

"That is……"

What a sight it was!
Like a lighthouse in the night, pure white elemental barriers burst forth from the massive planet, piercing the darkness like spears and extending into the depths of the inky ocean. They connect with the pure white threads of the same origin in the inky ocean, outlining a scene that can only be fully appreciated from a distance measured in light-years: three straight-lined elemental barriers form its 'trunk', while twelve four-way expanding elemental barriers constitute its initial 'branches'.

The remaining hundred or so elemental layers strive to expand its 'branches', constructing its boundaries and outlining a huge 'canopy' with a radius of 169.37 light-years.

—That was a 'tree'.

A towering tree measured in light-years and with civilizations as its radius.

Without a doubt, its very existence is enough to inspire countless poets throughout their lives and to ignite the inspiration of countless artists.

And now, under their watchful eyes, on this 169.37 light-year radius, beneath this colossal tree of civilization comprised of 137 planets and worlds, they witnessed an even more unforgettable scene—

Bloom.

Yes, it is blossoming.

As the major reminded them, the towering tree at the end of their line of sight, which should have only had one branch, began to bloom with striking white 'petals' from the rapidly spreading pure white color, from the ocean called the Abyss, just like a withered tree in spring.

Like a lotus blooming in the dark mud, its magnificent blossoming engulfs and covers the dark areas confined by branches.

As the pure white flower buds bloomed, a cold and authoritative announcement suddenly rang out from each stronghold:

……

[Announcement (Tree of the Void): Attention all notary offices in the current region! Due to the successful construction of a complete elemental barrier in this region's expedition, according to the expedition regulations, the current region will officially enter the third phase of the expedition operation in 72 hours. All Paradise factions are requested to confirm the recruitment list for the third batch of expedition members within 48 hours!]

"This is……"

"Hey, did I hear that right? Does that mean we can finally rest?!"

"Really? Are we going to be woken up by that deadly alarm in the middle of the night again?"

Inside each border outpost, the top-tier contractors who had been dispatched to assist the legion in their garrison duties all looked somewhat bewildered and confused upon hearing the announcement that suddenly rang in their minds and the elemental light in the sky that was enough to illuminate the entire world.

The next second, the major's voice, accompanied by the corresponding notification sounds from each Contractor Paradise, rang out in the minds of every Contractor in the base:
[Note: The current Supreme Commander of the Expedition Zone, Guardian Armor 3756, has been temporarily connected to the public communication channel.]

"Gentlemen, let's raise a glass in celebration."

"Even though this is not over yet, there is no doubt that, thanks to everyone's tireless efforts, we have successfully taken the most crucial step in this war."

"At this moment, the brilliance of the elements has shone from the abyss, and the seeds that have penetrated deep into the enemy's heartland have grown into towering trees. All of this is thanks to your efforts."

"Therefore, gentlemen, there is no need to worry or be anxious. During these 72 hours when the elemental light shines brightest, during this precious rest period, simply enjoy the victory that belongs to you all."

"In conclusion, in my capacity as the supreme commander of this expedition, I look forward to your continued performance in this expedition."

[Note: The current highest commander in the expedition area, Guardian Armor 3756, has left the public communication channel.]

A voice, as light as cotton yet resonant, fell, echoing in the minds of every contractor within the stronghold along with the amusement park's notification, causing a brief silence to settle in the atmosphere. Then—

"Wow! Finally, I can have a decent rest time!"

"Aaaaaah! Is this real?! Is that damned battle finally over?!"

"Well, for now, it seems so, and it looks like the third phase will be a bit easier than the current one?"

"Never mind! You guys go celebrate yourselves. I need to go back immediately and enjoy a full 24 hours of sleep to make up for all the energy I've lost over the past month!"

"Damn, count me in! This time I'm going to sleep with him for a whole day and night!"

"I'm outta here, damn it, I've never wanted to find a place to get a good night's sleep so badly..."

In an instant, cheers that sounded like ghosts howling and wolves howling rang out from various planetary outposts. After the initial excitement, most of the contractors, as if they hadn't slept for eight hundred years, rushed headlong into the various single rooms in the outposts without hesitation.

If they had just arrived at the World Fortress, as members of the top echelon, they might have had some other thoughts when they heard about the three-day holiday.

But now, after more than a month of high-pressure operations, experiencing fighting a dozen or even twenty defense battles a day, and often being woken up by alarms just three minutes after falling asleep, all they can think about is finding a good place to get a good night's sleep.

Women? Drinks? Unboxing? Training?

Sorry, but during an expedition, nothing is as tempting as the thought of "I can sleep in until I naturally wake up tomorrow!"
Of course, the above only applies to the premise of 'the vast majority of people'. After all, just as there are always some people who like to go against the grain, even in such a high-pressure environment, there will always be one or two exceptions, such as...

"Brother Randy, we still have two days on the road. Regarding the magic array..."

"Aaaaaah! Old Black, please, have some humanity! White Demon is already taking a nap, how come you still have so much energy?!"

"Hmm, maybe it's because I'm naturally more resilient, and I also have some calming runes here. If you can't hold on, Brother Randy, I can..."

"Get lost! Don't touch me!"

boom--! !

A resolute voice of refusal rang out, followed by a loud slam of the door, as if it were about to lift the entire corridor.

In the corridor, Xin Lailai, who was turned away from the door, stared at the tightly closed door in front of her, looked down at the newly found book on space theory in her hand, gently rubbed her temples, and sighed with some melancholy.

"Fine, I guess I'll just relax for a couple of days and have some free time."

After thinking for a while, Xin Lailai gently shook her head, put away the book on space theory that required a lot of effort to study, and turned to look at the samples from abyssal creatures in her storage space, her eyes revealing excitement.

For him, this kind of experiment, which doesn't require much brainpower, only requires following a fixed procedure to sample and test, and can yield many novel phenomena, is the best kind of relaxation.

As for sleeping? Don't be ridiculous. They get at least four hours of rest after each planet they occupy, which is more than enough for them to recover their energy.

Exhausted? Sorry, given their experience of having two souls in one body and the Dead Sea ruins, this level of fatigue is far from enough to make them feel exhausted.

Ultimately, compared to the situation when she fell into the ruins of the Dead Sea, where every minute and every second was spent in the face of death, this month-long expedition was, in Xin Lailai's view, really just a warm-up.

and--

He finally had a chance to catch up on the progress they had made on Dark Glow Star. If he were to waste it like this, would he even be considered a human being?!
……

(End of this chapter)